John Severson: Capturing American surf culture

John Severson has been documenting surfers in America for over 50 years. As the founder of Surfer Magazine, he's seen the sport go from an "outlaw" adventure banned by local townships to a multimillion dollar industry.

While early American surfers might have trouble finding a partner to ride the waves, the biggest problem now is finding a clear patch of surf.

He has published his photographers and original artwork in a new book, John Severson's Surf.

He spoke to the BBC's Ashley Semler from his home in Hawaii. Listen closely and you can hear the waves in the background.

Images courtesy Puka Puka and Damiani.

Audio recorded by Nathan Howe.

Edited by Bill McKenna.